1On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, this word of the LORD came by the prophet Haggai, 2“Speak now to Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the rest of the people, and ask them, 3‘Who is left among you that saw this Temple in its former glory? And how do you see it now? Is it not in your eyes as nothing, in comparison? 4But yet be strong, Zerubbabel’, says the LORD. ‘and be strong, Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; and be strong and work, all you people of the land, for I am with you’ says the LORD Almighty: 5‘In accordance with the word that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, so My Spirit remains among you; fear not.’ 6For thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘In yet a little while, I will shake the heavens, the earth, the sea, and the dry land; 7And I will shake all nations, and the Desire of all nations shall come; and I will fill this Temple with glory’, says the LORD Almighty. 8‘The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine’, says the LORD Almighty. 9‘The glory of this latter Temple shall be greater than that of the former’, says the LORD of hosts; ‘and in this place I will give peace,’” says the LORD Almighty.

10In the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came by Haggai, the prophet, saying, 11“Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Ask now the priests concerning the law: 12”If one bears holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt touches bread, pottage, wine, oil, or any food, shall it be holy?” And the priests answered and said, “No.” 13Then said Haggai, “If one that is defiled by a dead body touches any of these, shall it be unclean?” And the priests answered, “It shall be unclean.” 14Then Haggai answered, “So is this people, and so is this nation before Me”, says the LORD; “And so is every work of their hands; and that which they offer there is unclean. 15And now, consider carefully, from this day forward, how things were before one stone was laid upon another in the Temple of the LORD; 16Since those days were, when anyone came to a heap of twenty ephahs, there were only ten; when one came to the wine vat to draw out fifty baths out of the press, there were only twenty. 17I struck all that you labored with your hands with blight, mildew and hail; yet you did not turn to Me,” says the LORD. 18“Consider now from this day forward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month - from the day that the foundation of the LORD's Temple was laid, consider it. 19Is the seed left in the barn? Until now, the vine, and the fig tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive tree, have not borne fruit; but from this day onward, I will bless you.”’”

20And again the word of the LORD came to Haggai on the twentieth-fourth day of the month, 21“Say to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, ‘I will shake the heavens and the earth; 22And I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms, and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations; and I will overthrow the chariots, and those who ride in them; and the horses and their riders shall fall, every one by the sword of his brother. 23In that day,’ says the LORD of hosts, ‘I will take you, O Zerubbabel, My servant, son of Shealtiel’, says the LORD, ‘and will make you like My signet; for I have chosen you’, says the LORD of hosts.”